Father John Misty doesn’t put on your typical rock concert. Don’t expect much heavy bass, electric guitar, or a mosh pit. While many use music as an escape from the difficulties of daily life, Father John Misty, born Joshua Tillman, chooses to highlight these issues through his songs. After three straight sold-out shows in Brooklyn, it’s clear that people are willing to listen.

Tillman was raised in a Evangelical Christian household, which is not exactly conducive to becoming a rockstar. When he left home for college, he abandoned his faith, moved to Seattle, and started making music. In April, he released Pure Comedy, his third album as Father John Misty. If you’re looking for a feel-good summer album, look elsewhere. But with recent events, this may not be the ideal time for happy entertainment.

Although the themes that Tillman addresses are timeless, the concertgoers at his Brooklyn show were mostly millennials, perhaps drawn by his recent SNL performance. Tillman played an epic 23-song set filled with both his greatest hits and newest songs. The audience seemed a bit tepid at first while listening to the slower piano ballads from Pure Comedy, but grew more excitable when Tillman played the classics from his first two albums.

While the music is decidedly opinionated, Tillman is often the subject of controversy for expressing his views. In July, he made headlines when he cut a concert short to rant about the entertainment complex and how it damages society. He is never afraid to voice his opinion, whether it be on Twitter on in the middle of one of his concerts.

The music itself is a mix of rock, folk, indie, and even a little bit of country at times. His song topics range from his wife to society’s use of technology and even narcissism and personal relationships. Tillman is a born performer, constantly running across the stage, dancing to his own songs, and interacting with the audience.

While the musical topics and societal outlook may be rather bleak, the crowd at his shows left smiling, knowing that even if they were headed towards a tough four years, they would have a catchy voice to narrate it.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/22/fatherjohnmisty/feed/0Boys lacrosse coasting through regular seasonhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-lacrosse-coasting-through-regular-season/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-lacrosse-coasting-through-regular-season/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 16:02:15 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6040Have you seen those royal blue jackets and parachute pants roaming the halls of Schreiber lately? The jacket’s Viking logo, filled by the American flag, has become emblematic of the boys lacrosse team’s early season success.

After a quick stumble out of the gates, it didn’t take long for the Vikings to find their footing and catch fire in April. Under the leadership of senior captains Brian Crawley, Joey Manno, Crew Weingard, and Justin Masi, the Vikings are currently sitting comfortably at second place in Nassau Conference One with a record of 6-2.

“We try to make the most out of every rep in every drill we do, and we compete hard against each other in everything we do,” said senior captain Crew Weingard. “On the practice field, we act like it’s a real game when we scrimmage each other so that we’re ready to play when we take the field on game days.”

The season started off on a bad foot when the boys dropped their home opener on March 21 against South Side by a score of 14-8. However, the Vikings used that game as a learning experience to fix the issues at hand. On that Tuesday afternoon, the score was knotted up at 6-6 at halftime prior to a poor second half that saw the Vikings get outscored 4-1 in each of the final two quarters.

“After that game, we bonded as a team and got to know each other much better. In addition, we started to push ourselves much harder,” said freshman Brian Pohoreckyj.

Senior Brian Crawley (4 assists), junior John Athanasian (1 goal, 3 assists), and junior Harry Basham (3 goals) did everything they could to keep Port Washington in the game, but the Vikings fell short when it was all said and done.

Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives to take away from the game against South Side. One of those positives was a strong performance by the Vikings’ freshman class of Mikey Beil, Zander Stapleton, Brandon Caslow, and Brian Pohoreckyj. This year’s group of freshmen is special, and so far they’ve all contributed in one way or another. Beil scored his first career goal in the loss against South Side, Stapleton has already announced his verbal commitment to play college lacrosse at Boston University, Caslow is ready to go after rehabbing his way back from a torn ACL, and Pohoreckyj tallied his first career point with an assist against Seaford.

“Being on varsity this year is a pretty big step up from where we were playing last year, but the upperclassmen do a great job at making us part of the team,” said freshman Mikey Beil. “The captains’ leadership has been excellent so far and we really appreciate the way they try their best to make us better as a team.”

In addition to being contributors on the field, the freshmen provide a different vibe within the locker room.

“Having four freshmen is great because it gives the team a different dynamic,” said senior Crew Weingard. “We want to give them as much advice as we can to make sure the program continues to head in the right direction.”

After losing their first game, the Vikings responded with an 8-7 victory in a thriller against Locust Valley. Sophomore goalie AJ Galassi (16 saves) turned in an excellent performance between the pipes. On the offensive end of the spectrum, Crawley (2 goals, 2 assists), Athanasian (1 goal, 2 assists), and Dalimonte (2 goals) paved the way for the Vikings’ first victory of the spring. Beil also contributed his second career goal. The boys took a 5-2 lead into halftime, but Locust Valley came storming back. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings protected their lead during a man down play with just over two minutes remaining. Then, with about a minute to play, Port forced a turnover to seal the deal and cap off win number one.

A week after squeaking out a win in nail-biting fashion at Locust Valley, the Vikings absolutely steamrolled a winless Freeport team. Freeport, currently sitting on a 0-5 record, had no idea what was coming on April Fool’s Day. Despite the fact that it was April 1, the Vikings’ 15-0 halftime lead and 18-1 final score was no joking matter. Nine different Vikings tallied at least one goal, and the leading scorers were Crawley (2 goals, 5 assists) and Dalimonte (career high 5 goals). Other key contributors in this dominant victory were Athanasian (4 points), Basham (4 points), junior Drew Turner (3 points), and Stapleton (first 2 career goals). Everything was clicking on the Vikings’ home turf during one of their largest margins of victory in program history.

Following the demolition of Freeport, the Vikings extended their win streak to three games with a 13-8 win over Baldwin. Dalimonte (5 points), senior Robbie Connors (4 points), Crawley (3 points), and Athanasian (3 points) paced Port’s offensive attack. Connors’ trio of goals marked the senior’s first game back after a one-game absence, and he made sure his presence was felt. Galassi (10 saves) turned in yet another spectacular effort in net by recording another game with double digit saves. The victory was a statement win for the Vikings, who continue to prove that they’re now a different team than the one that melted in the second half against South Side.

When the 0-7 Seaford Vikings came to town for a battle of Vikings, Port Washington decimated them by a score of 15-3. Port’s 10-1 halftime lead allowed them to cruise through the second half and to see some of the younger guys on the team in action. Sophomore Steven Betsch, Caslow, and Carillo all scored their first goals of the season. In addition, junior goalie George Moschos (12 saves) had his first career varsity game with double digit saves in goal. Connors (4 goals, 1 assist) and Turner (2 goals, 2 assists) sparked the Port Washington offense. Another notable feat from the game against Seaford was Beil’s (3 goals) first career hat trick. Beil scored 7 goals in the first 5 games for the Vikings. The offensive clinic against Seaford marked the second time in three games where Port exploded for at least 15 goals in a game.

You can bet that all these crooked numbers have caught the eyes of other coaches across the county. During the three game homestand, Port finished 3-0 and saw elite offensive performances from Crawley (11 points), Dalimonte (10 points), Athanasian (10 points), Connors (9 points), and Turner (9 points).

On April 12, the Vikings extended their win streak to five games by way of an 18-1 thrashing of Hempstead. Hempstead, known for its athletic prowess, was no match for Port Washington when it came to skill. At the conclusion of the third quarter, Port Washington held a commanding 18-0 lead. Pohoreckyj posted a career best 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) to pace Port Washington’s lethal attack. Pohoreckyj, one of the four highly touted freshmen, was one of nine different Vikings to net a goal in the win. Another notable feat of the game was senior Rhys Jackson’s first goal of the year. Once again, the junior class played a vital role in the Vikings’ potent offense. Under the leadership of Athanasian, Dalimonte, and Turner, the juniors combined for 12 points in the victory. With the win, the Vikings advanced to 3-0 in conference play while Hempstead fell to 0-3.

Just a day after annihilating Hempstead, Port Washington hit the road once again. This time, the Vikings’ destination was North Shore High School for a non-league game. North Shore entered the game with a record of 7-0, but the Vikings weren’t intimidated by their undefeated record. After entering the fourth quarter deadlocked in a 5-5 tie, North Shore pulled away and defeated Port by a score of 8-6. Turner (2 goals, 2 assists) did everything in his power to keep the Vikings in the game, but Port Washington ultimately fell short. However, the good news is that non-league games bear less weight in playoff seeding than conference play does. Unfortunately, the loss snapped the team’s five game winning streak and dropped their record to 5-2 at the time.

Following the loss to North Shore, Port Washington bounced back with a big win on April 15 against Hewlett. Once again, Crawley (5 goals, 2 assists) and Connors (3 goals) proved that they’re among Long Island’s top senior tandems. These two have made a habit of displaying their offensive firepower every time they take the field. The Vikings’ win, which came by a score of 14-9, improved their record to 6-2, while it dropped Hewlett’s to 5-2.

Port trails only Farmingdale who is 4-0 in conference play, but teams like Massapequa and Syosset, both with conference records of 2-0, are hot on their trail.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-lacrosse-coasting-through-regular-season/feed/0Girls lacrosse off to a rocky start to their 2017https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/girls-lacrosse-off-to-a-rocky-start-to-their-2017/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/girls-lacrosse-off-to-a-rocky-start-to-their-2017/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:56:55 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6037After losing in the semifinals of the Nassau County championships, the Schreiber girls lacrosse team is eager to get back on the field this season. The girls started off with high hopes. Port suffered four close losses against Garden City, Farmingdale, North Shore, and Cold Spring Harbor at the start of the season, but they remain optimistic about their upcoming games. Many of these matches were incredibly close games that simply didn’t go the right way for the team.

On March 28, in their game against North Shore, Port lost 11-12 after their opponents netted the final goal in late in overtime. Senior Lily Avazis led the way for the team scoring three goals while junior Ali Hoffman added a goal and two assists.

The girls aren’t letting their recent losses get them down, and they know how important it is to keep playing their best. Their main goal was to fix their play so they could make their way back up to the top of the conference.

“All of those game were really close. We just lost them towards the end,” said junior Rebecca Rosen. “We worked hard in practice to fix what we were doing wrong and we have been playing much better because of it.”

Playing better is exactly what Port is doing as of late. After getting off to an 0-4 start, the Lady Vikings rebounded and won the next four matchups including victories against Manhasset, Oceanside, Lynbrook, and Plainedge.

The first of the girls’ wins came April 4 against Manhasset. Port overpowered Manhasset, their conference rivals, ultimately winning the game 12-9. Again, Hoffman was one of the main playmakers, recording three goals with two assists. Senior Rachel Rosen led the way for the team, scoring four goals with three assists. Senior goaltender Claudia Hanover also recorded 11 saves during the game.

“Getting that first win meant a lot to us,” said junior Jenny Valenti. “It really made us play with a lot more confidence going forward.”

Later that week, the Vikings faced off against Oceanside on April 8. Port again came out on top winning 12-9. Hoffman again led the way, along with sophomore Michaela Gearty; both girls scored five goals.

During spring break, the girls sacrificed much of their vacation time in order to hone their technique and continue to work their way up the conference ladder. They ended up practicing for hours on end and played two games during the break, which took commitment and dedication from all team members.

“We always work hard during practice but during break we really tried to focus even more,” said Rachel Rosen. “We were in the middle of a really good winning stretch and we wanted to keep getting the results we wanted.”

The hard work paid off for Port, as they won their next two games, finishing off their four game win streak. On April 10 against Lynbrook, the team blew away their opposition, winning 15-7. Avazis scored an impressive four goals and two assists that day, while Hoffman and Rachel Rosen each had two goals and four assists to continue their great play.

Next up for the Vikings was Plainedge on April 12. The Vikings won the game 13-5, with many players contributing to the win. Rachel Rosen led the way with a goal and five assists, senior Maddy Connors recorded two goals and two assists, and Rebecca Rosen had two goals and one assist.

This was certainly a very high point for Port this season. The team knows their strengths, and they hope to achieve great things later in the year during the playoffs. As they get into the later half of their season, it will be even more important for the girls to keep their morale up.

“This stretch really showed us that we can really compete with any team in the county,” said Rebecca Rosen. “Now we know what we have to do to win and we are all really looking forward to the playoffs to show what we can do.”

After their matchup against Plainedge, the Vikings were put to the test against conference rival Massapequa. Port was out to seek revenge for the loss they suffered at last year’s playoffs. On April 19, Port finally got the rematch they had been waiting for but they were not able to recover from a slow start to the game.

After being outscored 5-10 in the first half, it was too much for the team to overcome with the final score being 9-13.

With three games left on their schedule, Port will look to close out the regular season on a good note in order to get the highest possible seed for the playoffs. All eyes will be on this team going forward as they attempt to get back to being one of Nassau’s most elite teams.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/girls-lacrosse-off-to-a-rocky-start-to-their-2017/feed/0Boys tennis exceeding expectations right out of the gatehttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-tennis-exceeding-expectations-right-out-of-the-gate/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-tennis-exceeding-expectations-right-out-of-the-gate/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:54:38 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6034The boys tennis team are off to a great start to their spring season, which began on March 31. A perfect start, actually, as the team is 4-0 Nassau Conference I to start the year. This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, however, as the team looked talented from the start.

“I knew going into this season that we were going to have a strong year,” said coach Peter Travis. “We have so many talented, experienced guys this year.”

Seniors like all-county players George Caslow and Tim Serignese are key contributors to the team’s success, as well as seniors Max and Austin Egna, who consistently provide skill at the first doubles spot. The Egna twins had a dominant season last year, reaching the quarterfinals of the Nassau County doubles tournament.

To start the season off, the Vikings faced off against Plainview JFK, one of the team’s main rivals. Despite Plainview’s strong lineup of players, Port emerged victorious, and the Vikings went on to win 5-2.

Juniors Dylan Spilko and Justin Suzzan allowed the opposition to scrap only one game off them. Port exposed the weaknesses of the top-heavy Plainview team in a solid team victory.

“Getting off to this great start meant a lot for us,” said senior captain Rob Konoff. “Plainview is a really good team and beating them like this gives us a lot of confidence going forward.

In their next match, Schreiber squared up against Great Neck North High School on April 3. Again, Port was multiple steps ahead, crushing their opponents 6-1. An especially gripping performance came from first singles player eighth-grader Alex Karmen.

Next up for the Vikings was Cold Spring Harbor. On April 5, Port drove through Cold Spring Harbor, beating them 6-1. Sophomores Zachary Gruber and Ryan Siegel out-hustled and outmatched their opponents, beating them in straight sets. In addition, Karmen continued to lead the Vikings, beating Cold Spring Harbor’s Matt Cashin in an emotional three-set match 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Karmen’s victory can be attributed to Coach Travis’s key coaching points this season: encouragement, positivity, and patience. Focusing on these qualities allow the team to win close matches like Karmen’s.

“It’s really important during a match to always take it one point at a time,” said Karmen. “You can’t let the last point bother you. You have to move on so you can be at your best for the next point.”

These key points of emphasis have been a driving force behind the tennis team’s great run thus far.

“Everybody has their own role on the team,” said Kaslow. “Everyone is always encouraging and motivating each other. Everyone has been contributing to our wins.”

Finally, in their last match before spring break, Port dominated Friends Academy on April 7 by a score of 7-0. Gruber and Siegel delivered another dominating performance, notching a victory at third doubles. This overwhelming victory improved the Vikings’ record to a perfect 4-0 on the season.

The boys haven’t stopped looking ahead. Every player has circled one matchup on their calendars: the upcoming match against Syosset, which has remained firmly on top of the conference in recent years. The Braves have won the county championships for the past two years and are sporting a current 37-game winning streak. The Syosset team is known for their incredibly deep lineup and excellent top talent players.

“Syosset has always had a very strong team,” said junior Jake Weiner. “We have a very strong team too though. This match means a lot more to us than any other match and we are all really excited for it.”

There’s no doubt that defeating Syosset will be a challenging feat, but it’s a task that the Vikings are ready to take on. This season, the Vikings will face Syosset in two matches, the first of which took place on April 21.

“This is the strongest the team has been all the years that I have been here,” said Austin Egna. “We all are thinking of a county championship. We all know we can do it.”

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-tennis-exceeding-expectations-right-out-of-the-gate/feed/0Boys track dominates early in the seasonhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-track-dominates-early-in-the-season/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-track-dominates-early-in-the-season/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:51:44 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6031This year, the boys track team has kicked of the 2017 contest with a string of dominant individual and team performances. Even in the presence of tough conference competitors such as Massapequa and Valley Stream, the team seems to be impressively holding their weight thus far. The Vikings are looking to the future this season, and they hope to take a stab at a conference championship as the season progresses.

The team excels at sprinting events, and talents like juniors Eli Cruise, Ryan Stevens, and Alex Zsikla are short-distance dangers on the track this season, as well as senior Stanley Elysee. Their combination of dedication and talent has helped propel this Vikings track team to new limits this season. Elysee’s dominant performance on the 400m hurdles at the Suffolk Officials Meet on April 8 awarded him second place in the event with a time of 58.41 seconds. Junior Kitman Lam finished seventh in the 100m at this meet.

“From what I’ve seen, the sprinting team is really coming together this year,” said junior Grant Bruno, a distance runner. “I’m not there practicing with them, but I go to the meets and I see the results. They are clicking this season.”

The Vikings’ sprinting success didn’t stop there, as the Schreiber relay team took second place in the 4×400 relay with a time of three minutes and thirty seconds at the April 8th meet, falling short of Huntington’s team by just one second.

The real trophy on the Vikings’ mantle is its long distance runners. Filled with incredible depth, the team’s talent is distance in some of the best in the county.

“We have a good group of guys with Siff-Scherr, Levine, [Jordan] Hurt, and Elysee,” said senior Rory Owens. “Not to mention we’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores helping us out as well.”

The team has been equally successful in distance races, and the relay team of Elysee, Levine, Owens, and Siff-Scherr took home first place in the 4×800 at the Red Raiders Relays with a time of 8:04.45, defeating the runner up by over ten seconds.

“The work ethic, the team spirit, the determination, these are the things that make the difference,” said Levine on the team’s success. “We’ve been working hard at practices, and the grind is really paying off, I think.”

At the Suffolk Officials Meet, Port Washington had three runner place in the top ten of the 800m event, with Levine, senior Javier Gonzalez, and Owens finishing in second, seventh and eighth, respectively. Siff-Scherr also had an impressive outing at this meet, finishing third out in the 1600m event with a time of 4:35.18. Gonzalez also turned some heads in this event, placing tenth with a personal record of 4:40.21.

“These guys are anchors,” said junior Aaron Cotumaccio. “Siff-Scherr, Levine, Gonzalez, these are the guys that we’re going to miss next season.”

Therein lies the issue that this team will face next year. As the seniors graduate, the younger athletes will have to step up and fill their shoes, which may be problematic. Many of the departing seniors are the team’s top scorers and most consistent performers. People like Siff-Scherr, Elysse, Levine, Owens, and many others who have been such crucial factors in this team’s success will be gone next season. The Vikings will now have to hand the bulk of the responsibility to the team’s current juniors and underclassmen to carry on the legacy of success that these seniors have worked to construct.

“It might be tough, but I have confidence in the younger guys,” said Siff-Scherr on the departing seniors. “There’s plenty of potential there in guys like Zsikla, [Ben] Goldstein, and [Max] Friedman, plus you never know what the new crop of freshmen will bring to the table.”

Hopefully Siff-Scherr is correct, and the younger athletes on the team will be able to continue the impressive dynasty that the Vikings track team has been able to maintain in recent years. While the team will have to wait until next year to watch this potential blossom into success, they can still work hard and enjoy their present success. At the Schreiber-hosted Port Washington Invitational, Siff-Scherr topped his previous 1600m performance with an incredible time of four minutes and twenty-seven seconds. The Vikings seek to keep improving and growing throughout the remainder of the season, with many runners’ eyes on qualifying for counties.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/boys-track-dominates-early-in-the-season/feed/0Baseball is first to use the new turf fieldhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/baseball-is-first-to-use-the-new-turf-field/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/baseball-is-first-to-use-the-new-turf-field/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:49:41 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6028The Port Washington varsity boys baseball team’s season is currently underway. The Vikings are looking towards finishing atop their conference.

The Vikings are off to a rocky start to the season, amounting three wins in ten total games played. Both of the Vikings’ wins have come recently, two against Hicksville, and one against Syosset who they outscored 9-2 in those matchups.

Port sits ahead of only Syosset and Hicksville in their conference at a record of 3-6-1. With an important three game stretch upcoming against Syosset, the momentum from their recent victories will surely carry over.

In the early stages of the season, the team is eyeing a turnaround. They are confident that their young and talented roster can string together a couple of needed victories. The expectations of the top players on the team remain the same after this rough start.

“We had a lot of expectations and a disappointing season last year, so this season we are taking things one game at a time,” said senior Dexter Jarach. “We are in a more difficult conference, but, with our two hardest opponents out of the way, we feel really good about our second half of our schedule.”

The more experienced players know that when a team is going through a rough stretch during the season, it is up to them to step up. Players like senior Russell Kindler are among these veteran players who stress that having a short memory is crucial to victory in the future.

“For the season, I feel our goals lie in making the routine plays and putting the ball in play. With errors come mental obstacles, which can hurt us,” said Kindler. “We need to make each play before we can move to the next one, and if we do make an error, we have to move past it.”

Schreiber has won two out of their last three games, recently edging out Syosset 2-1 on April 17 in a tight game with excellent pitching from both sides. Sophomore Jackson Trenaman sparked Port’s offense going 3 for 4 from the plate and drove in two game-winning runs to lead the team.

Also in the game, Jarach pitched beautifully for the Vikings and eventually delivered the win. Port would like to continue this winning stretch, as each game is just as important as the next to turn their season around.

“The keys to beating Hicksville twice and Syosset were our ability to stay mentally strong from beginning to end and making plays when we needed to,” said senior Mitchell Levine. “Dexter Jarach displayed great mental toughness on the mound when the umpire behind the plate challenged him with a very tight zone. He managed to adjust and pump strikes, ultimately coming out with a win.”

Despite these last couple of victories for Port, the leaders on the team are looking for consistency for the rest of their season. With plenty of games yet to be played in the season, the top players on the team see a lot they can improve on to finish atop their conference.

“I feel we can improve by just having the right mindset and not getting too ahead of ourselves,” said Kindler. “We need to make the plays and hit the ball, where with this mentality, we can beat any team and rise in the rankings.”

Looking towards the future for Schreiber baseball, it’s most certainly a bright one to say the least. With a core junior class consisting of Jack Stolper, Brian Schorr, and Ryan Meth, the future seniors are set to lead the Vikings for next season and also during this season as well.

The Vikings will also be relying on key underclassmen which includes sophomores Alex Chang Trenaman. Looking at these younger players, the seniors clearly view Port as a top team in the conference in the future.

“With six seniors leaving, the team does lose number,” said Kindler. “The amount of returning talent we have on the team right now, combined with the young talent that exists on junior varsity, the 2017-2018 Vikings are in a good position.”

The Schreiber baseball team looks to finish off their season on a strong note. They are heating up just at the right time as the team looks to be the team to beat in their new conference.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/baseball-is-first-to-use-the-new-turf-field/feed/0Girls track shows strength at the Port Invitationalhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/girls-track-shows-strength-at-the-port-invitational/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/girls-track-shows-strength-at-the-port-invitational/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:47:09 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6025The Vikings’ girls track team has always been a powerhouse in Nassau County Conference I-B, and this year is shaping up to be no different. The team boasts strong showings in the field and relay categories, as well as runners in the majority of the sprinting and hurdles events.

Sprinting is a major strongpoint of the Lady Vikings squad. Sophomore Ava Gellis is the fastest Lady Viking in the 100 meter sprint. Gellis is tied for the fastest time in the county among sophomores and seventh in the county, with an impressive time of 12.6 seconds. Other top Vikings runners for this event are junior Melissa Hernandez and senior Beatriz Chevarria, who rank 12th and 20th in the county, respectively.

The 100-meter sprint is just one of Gellis’s strengths. She finished the 200-meter sprint with a time of 27.3 seconds, the fourth fastest time among sophomores in the county. This success is nothing new for Gellis, who had a top ten overall time in both the 100 and 200 meter sprints last year.

“Ava has been performing very well for the team so far,” said junior Davida Harris. “She has been working really hard in practice on her her time and it is definitely paying off.”

These impressive outings in the individual sprinting events have resulted in success in the team’s relays. In the 4×100 relay, Port ranks 11th best in the county with a time of 54 seconds, and in the 4×400 relay, the team stands third in the county with a time of 4 minutes and 25 seconds. The team has also done well in the longest relay, the 4×800, ranking 11th in the county with a time of 11 minutes and 23 seconds.

Junior Sage Gitlin has made a name for herself in the 100 meter hurdle this season. Her best time is 17 seconds, and she currently ranks tenth overall in the county.

“So far the season has been going well for me in my event,” said Gitlin. “My teammates really have been the reason why I’m always improving. They always push me to be better.”

The middle distance events are another strength for the Lady Vikings. In the 400 meter sprint, Schreiber has two runners in the top twelve, including county leader Beatriz Chevarria. Chevarria holds an exceptional 1:00.45 second time, while sophomore Ava Gellis has a season best 1:03.11 second time, placing her fourth among sophomores in the county for that event.

Chevarria has also displayed her ability to run longer distance, holding a solid eleventh place in the county with a 2:28.6 second time for the 800 meter.

Port has also had some great showings in the 400 meter hurdles, with junior Lucy Hurt ranking seventh in the county in that event with a time of 1:12.5.

“It felt really great to get a good time in this event,” said Hurt. “It is not my main focus right now and I’m just happy to be able to contribute to the team in multiple ways.”

The 1500 meter is one of the team’s strongest events, with 3 runners ranking in the top 16 in the county, including 2 in the top 10. Maria Kogan ranks third overall with an impressive 5:00.46 minute time, while Kogan and Emily Cavallaro rank seventh and sixteenth in the county, respectively. In addition, Kogan has an incredible time of 10:59.1 in the 3000 meter, tying her for first place in the entire county.

Field events have proven to be yet another forte for the Lady Vikings this season. In the high jump, Celia Christake leads Port with a season best jump of five feet, good for eleventh in the county. Christake also has some impressive scores in the long jump, with a 15 foot, 5.25 inch best so far this season, ranking her 21st in the county. Seniors Ilana Hill and Sarah Goldman lead the team in the pole vault, with season best jumps of 7 and 6 feet, respectively. Both girls are among the top 30 in the county. As far as throwing events are concerned, senior Athena Johnson ranks among the county’s best in both shot put and discus. She ranks sixth in the county for discus with a season best toss of 90 feet, while she ranks 15th in the county for shot put with a season best of 29 feet and eight inches.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/girls-track-shows-strength-at-the-port-invitational/feed/0New music artists to tune into this seasonhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/new-music-artists-to-tune-into-this-season/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/new-music-artists-to-tune-into-this-season/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:44:37 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6022There is an infinite number of up and coming artists, and so many of them go unnoticed. Between Pandora, Spotify, and Apple Music, people only listen to their own playlists and music they’re already familiar with. Most radio stations only play the most popular hits, exposing people to just a tiny portion of today’s music.

Most of these new and underrated artists start out on Youtube. Once they start gaining popularity, they draw the attention of producers. However, most of these producers are already preoccupied with their other clients, many of whom are huge music artists. The less popular artists have a hard time starting out, but if they’re lucky, they’ll get the chance to record a song. Through that song, they can work their way up and establish a larger fan base. It’s a complicated process, and musicians can remain obscure for years before they become popular.

Artists such as Grimes, Maren Morris, Lewis Watson, and Allie X are all artists who are, for the most part, unknown. They have amazing voices, and some of them have even been on The Voice or America’s Got Talent. These shows act as the artists’ stepping stones to greatness, landing them with record labels and jobs. In many cases, however, it’s just not enough. Their music isn’t played on the radio, and most people don’t have the time or patience to scour Youtube for underrated artists.

Not all underrated artists are from America or the UK. Jessie Reyez, for example, is a Toronto-based Colombian artist who has two songs on Spotify. She has been described as similar to Rihanna but with a little more edge. These foreign artists along with American artists, have used Spotify and Pandora to expand their popularity. Radio stations often look on these apps and on the Internet to see lesser-known artists’ most popular songs.

Although these artists don’t have millions of fans, they do have a number of dedicated people who love their music. Starting small gives musicians the opportunity to improve and slowly become famous.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/new-music-artists-to-tune-into-this-season/feed/0Beloved HBO series Girls is all grown up after its six season runhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/beloved-hbo-series-girls-is-all-grown-up-after-its-six-season-run/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/beloved-hbo-series-girls-is-all-grown-up-after-its-six-season-run/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:41:19 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6019In the first episode of Girls, Hannah (Lena Dunham) declares that “[She] thinks [she] might be the voice of [her] generation. Or at least a voice. Of a generation.”

Watching the finale of Girls on April 16, viewers wondered if she was right. Hannah and the rest of the Girls gang are distinctly symbolic of a specific generation. They are spoiled and lost in the age of technology and instant gratification. It is because of this mentality, this need for constant satisfaction, and their inability to settle that the characters of Girls are just as loathsome as they are relatable. Many people may dislike Girls because of the way it displays such qualities, or for its lack of diversity. While these are by no means invalid points, they are points that the show itself is distinctly aware of.

Girls is not a satire, but it understands and emphasizes the absorbed nature of its characters and their culture in such a way that it might as well be. There is nothing that any author has written in a thinkpiece regarding Girls that the show’s writers have not purposefully considered, and in that respect, the show is utter genius. The way in which Dunham, along with her boundlessly talented cast and crew, is able to tackle controversial and provocative issues, such as abortion and sexuality, in ways that are both highly dramatized and realistic is truly impressive and utterly entertaining. As the show reached its conclusion, it continued to push forth controversy, using its impressive final season to tackle issues such as sexual assault and single motherhood, adopting intriguing angles on each issue and proving that the show never lost its wits.

Many hoped that the final season of Girls was that would finally show the titular girls transition into mature women. Overall, this wish was satisfied, as each woman seemed to conclude the series in a state of peace. Interestingly, only half of the main Girls quartet appeared in the final episode, as main characters Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), as well as the entire male portion of the principal cast, find their conclusions in the second to last episode. While the second to last episode did find satisfying endings for those characters, the last episode felt undeniably empty without the strong presence of the majority of the cast.

While the last episode did provide evidence of Hannah’s growth as a woman, it did not push boundaries the way so much of the series had. Though the show’s conclusion was rather open-ended, it was not nearly as messy or controversial as it could have been.

Interestingly, Girls is a period piece of sorts. Although that may be strange, considering that the show just ended the other week, it is so distinctly representative of a particular societal class existing in the Obama era of our society. As that era comes to a close, it is only natural that Girls does as well. Overall, Girls is a very specific and controversial show that, regardless of how you feel about its characters or its stars, deserves to be praised for its artful and wise representation of the very generation that created it.

]]>https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/beloved-hbo-series-girls-is-all-grown-up-after-its-six-season-run/feed/0The CW’s iZombie comes back to life this springhttps://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/the-cws-izombie-comes-back-to-life-this-spring/
https://theschreibertimes.com/2017/05/20/the-cws-izombie-comes-back-to-life-this-spring/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 15:38:01 +0000https://theschreibertimes.com/?p=6016Many of you fellow teen TV watchers have probably heard of the CW, the network that produced shows like The Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, and Gilmore Girls that have become extremely popular on Netflix. However, there are many shows still airing on the CWthat have the potential to be just as famous as any other of their other hit shows.

One of these shows is iZombie, a show that takes every cheesy motif from teen television and combines it with an apocalyptic zombie world. While this may seem like a stretch, somehow the network managed to pull it off so successfully that the show was renewed for a third season, which began airing this past month.

The main character, Liv, is your average 27 year old just out of medical school, until she is scratched by a highly contagious zombie at a boat party massacre. She wakes up the next morning on the beach craving brains, with pale skin and white hair (telltale signs of zombies), but otherwise very normal looking. The show portrays zombies in a unique manner; the show’s zombies are normal, healthy people, with the exception of their diet, allowing an entire population of zombies to live amongst humans.

The show follows Liv as she focuses on keeping her new identity a secret while managing to eat brains, and avoiding becoming a full-fledged zombie (the stereotypical traits: rotting skin, red eyes, incoherent grunts and a limp).

But what is it that makes iZombie unique from any other show, particularly more grotesque zombie shows like The Walking Dead? Its irresistibly catchy theme song, “Stop, I’m Already Dead,” is one factor, which you will find yourself singing along to before you know it. This song, accompanied by its montage of pop-art drawings of the characters is an immediate draw for any new viewer. This cartoonish transition after each commercial break is very aesthetically pleasing and makes the mood much less intense than any other zombie flick.

Speaking of iZombie’s aesthetic, Liv must eat brains to stay sane, so the writers got creative. Each episode, there is a thirty second clip of her chopping up “brains” and cooking it into normally delicious dishes like ramen, pizza, and even sloppy joes. Knives clatter and microwaves beep and quite honestly, it does not look all that disgusting . An interesting twist to these brain-ridden meals is the side effects it has on zombies—the zombie will take on the personality of the brain that was previously digested and get visions of important recent memories from that person’s life. This creates awkward and funny instances like when a 30-year-old man eats “teenage girl brain” and takes on all of the stereotypical teenager traits.

While it may seem as if this show has no plot line, the writers work hard to keep their viewers watching episode after episode. Each episode features a unique and intriguing mystery, as Liv uses her visions and assumed personalities to solve the murder of the person whose brain she just consumed. If that is not captivating enough, the show is also sure to have a love triangle pop up here and there or a forbidden romance between human and zombie. Additionally, there is a quite complex backbone story involving deadly energy drinks that connects back to how Liv became a zombie in the first place. The new season even hints at the possibility of a zombie-human war in the future.

So next time when you’re browsing various streaming services for your next TV show to obsess over, take a peek at iZombie. Seasons one and two are readily available on Netflix. Get ready for a humorous take on the zombie apocalypse with a hint of relationship drama and mysterious murders—I mean really, what more could you ask for?